Product and process for producing a molded product from recycled carpet waste

ABSTRACT

A molded article such as a floor tile is made from recycled carpet waste which includes a polyvinyl chloride component in the backing material and fiber component having a melting point above the melting point of polyvinyl chloride. A mixture of the recycled carpet material is shredded and additional polyvinyl chloride is fed to an extruder where the polyvinyl chloride is melted without melting the carpet fibers. The resulting mixture is discharged and molded, such as by injection molding, to form a molded product. The molded product includes a continuous matrix of polyvinyl chloride having recycled carpet fibers uniformly dispersed therein. The molded article contains about 45% to about 85% of polyvinyl chloride, about 5% to about 20% of recycled carpet fibers, up to about 5% of a plasticizer and up to about 5% of an ethylene copolymer by weight based on the total weight of the product. The finished product preferably contains about 10% to about 75% by weight of recycled vinyl-backed carpet and about 25% to about 90% by weight of a flexible polyvinyl chloride based on the total weight of the product.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a molded product from recycledcarpet waste. More particularly, the invention is directed to a processof producing a molded product from recycled carpet wherein the moldedproduct includes carpet fibers dispersed in a polyvinyl chloride matrix.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Plastics are in common use in a large portion of consumer products. Theincreased use of plastics is, to a large extent, due to the low cost ofplastics in comparison to other materials. In addition, plastics providedurability and strength that are not available from other materials. Aninherent property of most plastic materials is that they are not readilybiodegradable. This creates a large volume of waste in landfills.

In recent years, there has been increased awareness of the disposaldifficulties of plastics and an increased effort to recycle plasticmaterials. Many plastics are very difficult to recycle into usablematerials. Although most thermoplastics can be remelted, the propertiesof the resulting blend of polymers are difficult to control. Theprocessing properties of most recycled plastics are sufficientlydifferent from the virgin plastic that extruding and molding therecycled plastic is very difficult. In addition, contamination fromincompatible plastics and other foreign materials produce inconsistentproperties throughout the plastic and a poor quality product. Moreover,contamination can clog conventional plastics processing equipment,thereby making recovery of these materials unpractical.

Recycling of plastics at this time is limited primarily to packagingmaterials, such as plastic bottles and containers. The recycling ofpolyethylene terephthalate (PET) has been successful in part due tocomparative ease of reclamation and volume of available high qualitymaterials. Other materials which have experienced some success inrecycling include high density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride, polystyrene, polyacrylates, polycarbonates and polyurethanes.

A primary difficulty in recycling many products is the number ofdifferent plastics and the varying amounts of plastics in the product.Various processes have been proposed to separate the plastic materialsaccording to type. However, these processes are difficult to control andare typically expensive. In addition, it can be difficult to identifysome types of plastics by visual inspection.

Carpeting is one example of a product that usually includes acombination of different polymeric materials. In particular, the carpetfibers are generally different from the materials used for backing.Separating waste carpeting into the respective components is verydifficult and generally not economically feasible. Post consumer carpetsusually contain large amounts of dirt and other foreign materials whichincrease the difficulty of recycling. Each year, large volumes of wastecarpet are discarded as industrial scrap in the form of trimmings duringmanufacture or installation as well as post consumer carpet. Regardlessof the source, most carpet materials are difficult to recycle.

There has been some effort to recycle various materials that containfilaments or fibers. Examples of processes which use recycled materialsare disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,797 to Burt et al and U.S. Pat. No.5,719,198 to Young et al.

Accordingly, there is a continuing need in the industry for processes ofrecycling various plastic materials and particularly carpeting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a product and to a process of producinga molded plastic product containing at least a portion of scrap or wasteplastic materials. In particular, the present invention is directed to aprocess of producing a molded plastic product from carpet scrap.

Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to provide a productand a process for producing a molded product using polyvinylchloride-backed carpet scrap.

Another object of the invention is to provide a product and a processfor producing a molded product containing recycled carpet scrap having afiber component and a polyvinyl chloride component and additionalpolyvinyl chloride in an amount sufficient to form a polyvinyl chloridematrix having carpet fibers dispersed therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide a molded productcontaining recycled carpet scrap that is flexible and wear-resistant.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a flexible floortile comprising about 10% to about 75% by weight of recycled carpetscrap where the floor tile contains the recycled carpet fibers uniformlydispersed therein.

polyvinyl chloride component, and a source of flexible polyvinylchloride, heating said feed mixture in said extruder to a temperaturesufficient to melt said polyvinyl chloride of said carpet scrap and ofsaid polyvinyl chloride source without melting said fiber component andsubstantially without reducing the fiber length, to form a substantiallyuniform mixture of melted polyvinyl chloride and an unmelted fibercomponent, discharging said mixture from said extruder and shaping andcooling said mixture to form a molded article of a matrix of polyvinylchloride having said unmelted fiber component dispersed therein.

These and other objects, advantages and salient features of theinvention will become apparent from the drawings and detaileddescription of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following is a brief description of the drawings which form a partof this original disclosure in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a flow chart of the process of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of an extruder assembly for producinga molded article in a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a molded floor tile produced by the processof the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the floor tile of FIG.3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is primarily directed to a molded product and to aprocess for making a molded product using recycled carpet scrap. Theinvention is particularly directed to a process of forming a matrix of asubstantially uniform mixture of a polyvinyl chloride base material andcarpet fibers dispersed therein.

The carpeting in preferred embodiments of the invention is waste carpetscrap having a fiber component formed of various polymeric materials. Inembodiments of the invention, the backing or binding material of thecarpet contains polyvinyl chloride as a primary polymeric component. Thebacking material preferably contains about 30% to about 50% by weight ofpolyvinyl chloride based on the weight of the backing.

The recycled carpeting can include a combination of components which aremade from various polymeric materials including, for example, polyvinylchloride, polycarbonates, nylons, polyethylene terephthalate,acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers, unsaturated and saturatedpolyesters and polyurethanes. Carpet materials can be woven or non-wovenmaterials. Non-woven carpets are typically bonded with a suitablebinding material. Non-woven carpets are generally; fiber mats where thefibers are bonded together by the bonding properties of the fibers or bya polymeric binding material. In embodiments of the invention, therecycled carpet scrap is from non-woven carpet squares or carpet tiles.Carpet tiles generally have a higher percentage of backing materialcompared to woven carpets.

Woven carpets can be tufted pile, cut pile or shag-type carpets. Thecarpet typically includes twisted yarns or rovings of natural orsynthetic filaments that are needled through a base or backing fabric.The backing fabric can be, for example, a woven or non-woven materialand generally includes a binding agent or a back coating. Commonly usedback coatings include various glues or binders such as ethylene vinylacetate copolymers which can be applied in the form of a latex coatingand then heated to cure the coating onto the carpet. Alternatively, thecopolymer backing can be applied as a hot melt extrusion which is cooledafter being applied to the carpet. The back coating generally containsinorganic fillers such as calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, bariumsulfate, magnesium silicate, such as talc, and mixtures thereof.

The carpeting used in the present invention is preferably post-consumercarpeting, post industrial carpet scrap or mixtures thereof. The carpetscrap comprises a fiber component and a backing material which includespolyvinyl chloride. The carpet scrap used in the present invention isgenerally referred to in the industry as vinyl-backed carpeting.

The fibers of the carpet scrap according to preferred embodiments of theinvention are made of polymeric materials having a melting point ofabout 190° C. or higher, and preferably above about 200° C. An importantaspect of the invention is the utilization of a carpet scrap materialhaving a fiber component wherein the fibers have a melting point abovethe melting point or processing temperature of polyvinyl chloridewhereby the carpet fibers do not melt, dissolve or decompose duringprocessing to any significant extent. The carpet material generallycontains about 10% to about 50% by weight of fibers based on the totalweight of the carpet. Preferably, the carpet contains at least about 20%by weight of fibers. The carpet material preferably includes carpetfibers having a length of about ⅛ inch to about 2 inches. The carpetfibers are provided in the form of yarns or rovings made from filamentsor fibers used in the manufacture of carpets.

The fibers in preferred embodiments of the invention are thermosetpolymers or thermoplastic polymers having a melting point above themelting point of polyvinyl chloride. Examples of preferred polymericfiber materials include polyamides, such as nylon 6 and nylon 66, andpolyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate. In further embodiments,the fiber component can be a naturally occurring fiber, such as wool orcotton, or other fibrous materials such as fiberglass and otherinorganic fibers.

The carpet material in accordance with the invention is generallyreferred to as a vinyl-backed carpet, and particularly, vinyl-backedcarpet squares. The carpet material includes a backing or bindermaterial which can be about 50% to about 90% by weight based on thetotal weight of the carpet. In preferred embodiments, the backingmaterial contains about 30% to about 50% by weight of polyvinyl chloridebased on the weight of the backing material. In further embodiments, thecarpeting material contains about 15% to about 45% by weight ofpolyvinyl chloride based on the total weight of the carpet.

The backing material of carpet generally contains about 50% to about 80%by weight of other components, such as, inorganic fillers and latexmaterials, where the percentages are based on the weight of the backing.Examples of typical inorganic fillers include calcium carbonate,magnesium carbonate, magnesium silicate and barium sulfate. The carpetmaterials typically have a backing which contains about 10% to about 40%by weight of fillers, non-melting components and components that meltabove the melting point of polyvinyl chloride based on the total weightof the carpet.

In one embodiment of the invention, the carpet is vinyl-backed carpetsquares containing about 25% by weight nylon fibers and 75% by weightbacking material. The backing material typically comprises about 30% byweight polyvinyl chloride, 15% by weight glass fibers and 55% by weightof other filler materials.

The additional source of polyvinyl chloride that is combined with thecarpet material is preferably a flexible virgin plastic resin having aShore A hardness of about 40 to about 100. The polyvinyl chloride can bein flake or pellet form. In further embodiments, at least a portion ofthe polyvinyl chloride can be recycled industrial scrap, post consumerrecycled material and mixtures thereof.

The finished product is preferably sufficiently flexible to provide someresilience. In embodiments, a plasticizer is mixed with the carpetmaterial and polyvinyl chloride in an amount to provide the desiredflexibility to the final product. Generally, a plasticizer is added tothe polyvinyl chloride in the amount of up to about 5% by weight basedon the total weight of the mixture. The actual amount of plasticizerused will depend on the amount of polyvinyl chloride in the finishedproduct, the hardness of the polyvinyl chloride in the carpet, thehardness of the added polyvinyl chloride and the amount of non-meltingcomponents in the carpet. In addition, the proportion of carpet fibersand the stiffness of the fibers will influence the flexibility of thefinished product. A higher proportion of fibers in the finished productgenerally produce a stiffer product and requires a higher proportion ofa plasticizer.

The plasticizers can be selected from the commercially availableplasticizers for polyvinyl chloride. Examples of suitable plasticizersinclude benzyl phthalates, glycol benzoates, trimellitates, chlorinatedparaffins, phosphate esters, adipates, azelates, sebacates,tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate, polymeric plasticizers and epoxyplasticizers. A particularly preferred plasticizer is bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate which typically is referred to as dioctyl phthalate. Theplasticizer is incorporated into the polyvinyl chloride resin usingconventional procedures. In preferred embodiments, the plasticizer isblended with the polyvinyl chloride before or simultaneously with mixingof the carpet material.

In further embodiments, up to about 5% by weight of an ethylenecopolymer is combined with the feed mixture based on the total weight ofthe mixture to improve bonding between the polyvinyl chloride and thefiber component. A particularly preferred ethylene copolymer is ethylenevinyl acetate. A suitable ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer is availablefrom E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. under the trademark “Elvax”. Theethylene copolymer can be added as a separate component or can be acomponent of the carpet backing material.

Other additives can also be combined with the feed mixture to providedesired properties to the finished product. For example, suitablepigments or dyes, UV absorbing agents and fire retarding agents as knownin the art can be included.

Referring to the flow chart of FIG. 1, the process of the inventionbasically includes the steps of forming a mixture of vinyl-backed carpetmaterials and an additional source of polyvinyl chloride resin asindicated by block 10 and heating the mixture while continuously mixingto melt the polyvinyl chloride, without melting the carpet fibers to anysignificant extent and to uniformly disperse the carpet fibers and otherfillers in the resin as indicated by block 12. The mixture is thenmolded to form a matrix of a substantially homogenous mixture ofpolyvinyl chloride with discrete carpet fibers dispersed therein in asubstantially uniform manner as indicated by block 14. The resultingmatrix is a substantially continuous phase of polyvinyl chloride andcarpet fibers dispersed therein. The carpet fibers in the matrix canhave a length of up to about 2 inches.

Referring to FIG. 2, vinyl-backed carpet is passed through a shredder 18to reduce the size of the carpet pieces to about 2 inches or less. Theactual size of the shredded carpet pieces is not critical to the processof the invention. The only requirement or limitation of the size of thecarpet pieces is the handling and feeding difficulties of large,cumbersome carpet pieces into the processing equipment. In addition,large pieces can be snagged and block the inlet to the processingequipment. In preferred embodiments, the carpet pieces are reduced tothe largest size possible while avoiding clogging of the equipment.Suitable shredding devices can be used as known in the art to tear thecarpet backing or binder materials substantially without reducing thelength of the fibers which make up the carpet. In preferred embodiments,a substantial portion of the carpet fibers are not cut or torn duringthe shredding step.

The shredded carpet is discharged from shredder 18 to a mixing device20. A source of polyvinyl chloride is added to mixing device 20 throughline 22 whereby the components are uniformly mixed to form asubstantially uniform feed mixture. Additional additives, such as aplasticizer and an ethylene copolymer, can be added as needed through aline 24 to mixing device 20. Mixing device 20 can be a paddle-typedevice or a continuous screw mixer as known in the art. The feed mixturedepends on the desired composition of the final product. In embodiments,the feed mixture contains about 10% to about 75% by weight of carpetscrap and about 25% to about 90% by weight polyvinyl chloride based onthe total weight of the feed mixture. The carpet scrap of the feedmixture includes a fiber component and a polyvinyl chloride component.The added polyvinyl chloride of the feed is preferably a flexiblepolyvinyl chloride.

The feed mixture is then supplied to the inlet 26 of an extruder 28.Extruder 28 can be a single or twin screw extruder having a heatedjacket. The extruder 28 continuously conveys and mixes the feed mixturewhile heating to a temperature sufficient to melt the polyvinyl chlorideof the carpet backing and the additional polyvinyl chloride added to thefeed mixture. The heating temperature of the extruder is maintainedbelow the melting temperature or decomposition temperature of the fibercomponent of the carpet. In preferred embodiments of the invention, thefeed mixture is heated to a temperature of about 140° C. to about 190°C., which is typically effective to melt the polyvinyl chloride withoutmelting the fiber component. The resulting mixture has a melt flow indexof less than 5 and often less than about 1.

The extruder mixes the components of the feed to form a substantiallycontinuous phase of melted polyvinyl chloride having the discrete carpetfibers and other fibers and fillers uniformly dispersed therein. Theaction of the conveyor screw and the heat, melts the polyvinyl chlorideof the backing material and enables the separation of fiber tufts andfiber bundles of the carpet into smaller fiber bundles and discretefibers. Preferably, the extruder mixes the components of the feedmixture substantially without reducing the length of the carpet fibers.The inorganic fillers, latex and other components of the carpet backingwhich do not melt can be reduced in particle size by the shredder or bymixing in the extruder and dispersed in the melted polyvinyl chloridephase. In preferred embodiments, the finished product contains carpetfibers having a length substantially equal to the length of the carpetfibers of the feed mixture.

The extruder 28 includes an outlet 30 coupled to a conduit 32 forcarrying the melted mixture to the inlet 34 of a second extruder 36. Avalve 38, such as a hydraulically controlled valve, is provided inconduit 32 to control the flow of material. Extruder 36 in theembodiment illustrated is a plunger-type extruder and includes acylinder 40 and reciprocating plunger 42. Plunger 42 includes aconnecting rod 44 and an actuator, such as an hydraulic piston andcylinder assembly 46.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, the finished product is madeby injection molding as discussed above. In further embodiments, themolded product can be produced by extrusion molding where the materialis extruded through an appropriately shaped die. In still furtherembodiments, the material can be molded by compression moldingtechniques.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, the finished product is aninjection molded floor tile. The process and composition produce adurable and flexible tile having a substantially continuous flexible andresilient matrix of polyvinyl chloride with discrete carpet fibersdispersed therein in a substantially uniform manner. In preferredembodiments, the dispersed carpet fibers are polyamide or polyesterfibers having a length substantially the same as the original carpetfibers. The fibers provide a tough, durable wear surface so that alaminated wear surface is generally not necessary. Typically, the matrixcontains about 5% to about 20% by weight of a fiber component and about10% to about 40% by weight of filler materials and the remainderpolyvinyl chloride based on the total weight of the finished product.The filler materials generally include non-melting materials in the feedmixture including latexes, inorganic fillers in the carpet backing anddirt in post-consumer carpet. In preferred embodiments, the matrixcontains about 10% to 20% by weight of the fiber component based on thetotal weight of the molded product.

The composition and process are able to form molded products of varioussizes and shapes. For example, injection molded floor tiles have athickness of about 0.2 to about 0.75 inch thick and a length and widthof about 12 inches to about 24 inches.

The amount of polyvinyl chloride in the finished matrix of the moldedproduct is preferably sufficient to form a substantially continuouspolyvinyl chloride matrix and typically contains about 25% to about 90%polyvinyl chloride based on the total weight of the molded product. Inpreferred embodiments, the matrix of the molded product contains about45% to about 85% by weight polyvinyl chloride.

The source of polyvinyl chloride in the matrix can vary depending on theamount of polyvinyl chloride in the carpet material. The amount of fiberand other non-melting components of the carpet determine the amount ofpolyvinyl chloride combined with the carpet in the feed. In preferredembodiments, the molded product comprises about 10% to about 55% byweight of polyvinyl chloride from the carpet material.

The fiber content and the content of non-melting components of thecarpet make the molded product stiffer than a product made entirely ofpolyvinyl chloride. The fiber content and non-melting components of thecarpet serve as a filler for polyvinyl chloride matrix and increase thewear-resistance and durability. A particular advantage of the inventionis the ability to use post-consumer carpeting without the need to cleanor make up about 10% to about 40% by weight of the molded product.

In preferred embodiments, the molded product is a resilient,interlocking floor tile produced by injection molding. Referring toFIGS. 3 and 4, a preferred injection molded floor tile 60 is shown. Asshown in FIG. 3, the tile 60 has a substantially square shape havingfour identical side edges 62. Each side edge 62 has a square tab 64 anda plurality of spaced-apart interlocking tabs 66. Tabs 66 have asubstantially T-shape and are separated by a space 68 receiving a tab 66of an adjacent tile 60. A plurality of tiles 60 interlock together toform a continuous floor surface. Tile 60 has a wear surface 70 having aplurality of raised circular areas 72 to provide a non-slip surface.

Referring to FIG. 4, floor tile 60 is preferably a solid structure withno voids or air pockets. The tile 60 is formed from a substantiallycontinuous matrix 74 of polyvinyl chloride having fibers 76 and otherfiller materials dispersed therein. It will be understood that FIGS. 3and 4 illustrate one embodiment of a floor tile although other shapesand configurations can be produced from the process of the invention.

Although various embodiments have been selected to illustrate theinvention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious modifications can be made without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

1-33. (canceled)
 34. A fiber-reinforced, flexible matrix, wherein saidmatrix comprises: about 10% to about 75% by weight of waste scrapcarpeting, wherein said carpeting has a first polymer backing and carpetfibers from a polymer having a melting point higher than the meltingpoint of polyvinyl chloride and where said waste scrap carpetingcomprises about 50% to about 80% by weight of non-melting fillermaterials including inorganic fillers based on the weight of saidbacking; and about 25% to about 90% by weight of a flexible secondpolymer, wherein said matrix is a substantially continuous phase of saidfirst and second polymers having said carpet fibers and inorganicfillers dispersed therein.
 35. The matrix of claim 34, furthercomprising a polyvinyl chloride plasticizer.
 36. The matrix of claim 34,further comprising a polyethylene copolymer.
 37. The matrix of claim 34,wherein said matrix is a substantially homogenous mixture of polyvinylchloride and discrete carpet fibers having a length of about ⅛ to about2 inches.
 38. The matrix of claim 34, wherein said polymeric fibers areselected from the group consisting of polyamide fibers, polyester fibersand mixtures thereof.
 39. The matrix of claim 34, wherein said matrixcomprises about 45% to about 85% by weight polyvinyl chloride.
 40. Thematrix of claim 34, wherein said flexible second polymer is flexiblepolyvinyl chloride is virgin polyvinyl chloride having a Shore Ahardness of about 40 to about
 100. 41. The matrix of claim 34, whereinsaid carpet scrap is selected from the group consisting of carpet scrap,post consumer carpet scrap, post industrial scrap, and mixtures thereof.42. The matrix of claim 35, wherein said plasticizer is dioctylphthalate.
 43. The matrix of claim 34, wherein said matrix comprisesabout 5-20% by weight carpet fibers.
 44. The matrix of claim 34, whereinsaid matrix comprises about 10-55% by weight polyvinyl chloride fromsaid carpet.
 45. The matrix of claim 34, wherein said carpet comprisesabout 15% fiber, about 45% polyvinyl chloride backing and about 40%inert material wherein the percentages are based on the weight of thematrix.
 46. The matrix of claim 34, wherein said first polymer ispolyvinyl chloride.
 47. A fiber-reinforced, flexible matrix, whereinsaid matrix comprises: about 10% to about 75% by weight of waste scrapcarpeting, wherein said carpeting comprises a backing and carpet fibersfrom a polymer having a melting point higher than the melting point ofpolyvinyl chloride, said backing comprising about 30% to about 50% of afirst polymer and about 50% to about 80% inorganic fillers and latexmaterials based on the weight of the backing; and about 25% to about 90%by weight of a flexible polyvinyl chloride, wherein said matrix is asubstantially continuous phase of polyvinyl chloride and said firstpolymer having said carpet fibers, inorganic fillers and latex materialsdispersed therein.
 48. The matrix of claim 47, wherein said matrixcontains about 5% to about 20% of said carpet fibers, about 10% to about40% of said filler materials and the remainder polyvinyl chloride basedon the total weight of said matrix.
 49. A process of forming a fiberreinforced, flexible molded article comprising the steps of: supplying afeed mixture to the inlet of an extruder, said feed mixture comprisingabout 25% to about 90% flexible polyvinyl chloride and about 10% toabout 75% carpet scrap based on the total weight of said feed mixture,said carpet scrap having a fiber component and a backing material wheresaid backing material includes about 30% to about 50% by weight of afirst polymer component; heating said feed mixture in said extruder to atemperature sufficient to melt said first polymer component of saidcarpet scrap and of said flexible polyvinyl chloride substantiallywithout melting said fiber component and substantially without reducingthe fiber length to form a substantially uniform and continuous mixtureof said first polymer component and said melted polyvinyl chloride andan unmelted fiber component; and discharging said substantially uniformmixture from said extruder and shaping and cooling said mixture to forma molded flexible article of a matrix of a substantially continuousphase of said first polymer component and said polyvinyl chloride havingsaid unmelted fiber component dispersed therein.
 50. The process ofclaim 49, wherein said molded flexible article comprises about 5% toabout 20% by weight of said fiber component, and about 45% to about 85%by weight of said first polymer component and polyvinyl chloride. 51.The process of claim 49, wherein said molded flexible article comprisesabout 10% to about 55% by weight polyvinyl chloride supplied from saidcarpet scrap.
 52. The process of claim 49, wherein said uniform mixtureof melted polyvinyl chloride and unmelted fiber component has a meltflow index of less than about
 5. 53. The process of claim 49, whereinsaid fiber component comprises polyamide fibers, polyester fibers, andmixtures thereof.
 54. The process of claim 49, further comprisingcomminuting said carpet scrap into pieces of up to about 2 inches inlength prior to feeding to said extruder.
 55. The process of claim 49,comprising heating said feed mixture to about 140° to about 190° C. tomelt said polyvinyl chloride substantially without melting said fibercomponent.
 56. The process of claim 49, wherein said flexible polyvinylchloride has a Shore A hardness of about 40 to about
 100. 57. Theprocess of claim 49, wherein said matrix comprises about 10% to about40% by weight of unmelted filler materials from said carpet.
 58. Theprocess of claim 49, wherein said carpet scrap contains about 50% to 80%by weight inorganic fillers and latex materials based on the weight ofthe backing, and where said inorganic fillers and latex materials aredispersed in said continuous phase.